Protests In Hong Kong

[Nobu]

You know, you might laugh at this, but the team orientation. I wonder if they are online gamers?

 

Not quite as silly as you might think....

 

 

I once read in a book by an SAS veteran that if you are going on a protest, use paracord as shoelaces. Because the police will more than likely tie you up with zip ties. Paracord, when tied together, can be used as a saw to cut through the ties on your hand.

 

Just in case anyone wants to get all McGyver when taking on 'The Man'.

 

Considering how hard core the online gaming scene is in Asia, it is more likely than not.

 

What is interesting is the youthfulness of the protesters, almost as if generation gap issues particular to these Hongkongese may be at play.

[DB]

Of course the protesters are young. They have seen what the world is like through social media and the freedoms they've enjoyed in Hong Kong (relative to other parts of China.) And it was ever thus that the young are the ones who bleed.

[Burncycle360]

Not sure I fully understand but the Chinese currency is weakening and bitcoin is soaring. People pulling out?

[Stuart Galbraith]

I was listening to CNN, and they were saying that although Hong Kong only accounts for 3 percent of Chinese Income these days, it DOES act as a bridging step between East and West. I got the impression that much of the Western Investment into China not surprisingly goes through there.

 

So China could easily get the 'colony' under control, but the actual cost to them may end up being a lot more than 3 percent.

[Stuart Galbraith]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-49231143

Hong Kong's leader has warned that the city is on "the verge of a very dangerous situation" after protesters blocked roads and paralysed train services during morning rush hour.

More than 14,000 people from 20 sectors vowed to join a city-wide strike on Monday, its organisers said.

Civil servants, who are ordered to be politically neutral, have reportedly agreed to take part.

At the airport, more than 200 flights were cancelled amid disruption fears.

The protests have now continued for nine consecutive weekends. After violent clashes on Saturday and Sunday, police again fired tear gas at protesters on Monday.

Police said they had fired 1,000 tear gas canisters and 160 rubber bullets, and had made 420 arrests, since 9 June, when the protests began.

 

In her first media address in two weeks, the city's leader Carrie Lam said the protesters' actions had challenged the principle of "one country, two systems" and were threatening prosperity and stability in Hong Kong.

She also accused activists of using a controversial extradition bill, which triggered the protests in June, as a cover for their real goals.

"We continue to allow these violent protesters to make use of the [extradition] bill to conceal their ulterior motives," she said. "Those ulterior motives are going to destroy Hong Kong."

 

 

 

I thought her own clueless actions had done that.

 

Watching the protests on CNN, they are now demanding the right to vote for their own city leader and legislature. I fear this is going to end very badly.

[Ssnake]

Probably.

The Communist Party is incapable of taking things back a notch. They are incompetent at handling open dissent and mass protest because they would always prevent it from happening in mainland China. If word spreads and the economy is tanking the Chinese population might take it as the signal that the CP's mandate of heaven has expired.

[Murph]

I am not sure how much longer the ChiComs can allow this to go on, the protesters keep upping the stakes, and at some point the Chinese government is going to feel pushed into a corner.

[JasonJ]

The CCP learned patience and demonstrated that patience in the 2014 umbrella demonstrations in HK which lasted for about 3-4 months. The demonstrators failed to stop the CCP getting its aims of increasing its influence in the political structure of HK. The demonstrators this time around have a very difficult objective in pushing harder than during the failed 2014 efforts without looking like the bad guys themselves. The failure of the 2014 effort did raise an awareness among HKers though which resulted dramatically higher number of protestors this time around.

Edited August 5, 2019 by JasonJ

[Stuart Galbraith]

As pointed out on CNN though, in 2014, the protests dwindled after the 70 day mark. Today is the 70th day of protest, and if anything it seems to be ramping up.

[JasonJ]

A car broke through a barricade meant to block off the road.

[JasonJ]

Some footage of the train door blocking to prevent trains from moving.

 

[Nobu]

Watching the protests on CNN, they are now demanding the right to vote for their own city leader and legislature. I fear this is going to end very badly.

 

I am not sure how much longer the ChiComs can allow this to go on, the protesters keep upping the stakes, and at some point the Chinese government is going to feel pushed into a corner.

 

The impression is indeed that the protesters' demands are constantly changing, almost as if they are angling for a violent crackdown which, if their tactics are any indication, they are well prepared for.

 

Interestingly, it is the protesters who appear to be increasingly frustrated in various ways.

 

The approach of this Carrie Lam seems to be one of restraint and composure in the face of pressure, unfortunately.

Edited August 5, 2019 by Nobu

[sunday]

Infiltrated provocateurs paid by Beijing?

[Ssnake]

Some of them, no doubt, e.g. when they had the violent hoodlums attack with rebar irons. But they can't infiltrate so many as to make a million or more citizens look unhinged and irresponsible, at least not without running risk of getting exposed. They're definitely on very thin ice.

[Burncycle360]

Sounds like he was saying stuff and going places they really didn't want him to... they kept trying to lead him to orange man bad



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCH_-fcCoK4

Edited August 6, 2019 by Burncycle360

[JasonJ]

PRC spokesperson with some strong language.

BEIJING, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- A spokesperson on Tuesday urged people in Hong Kong to stop the violence and chaos and bring back order.

 

It is the immediate task facing all Hong Kong residents, which is very clear given the severe state of affairs in the region today, said Yang Guang, spokesperson for the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, at a press conference.

 

Yang called on people in Hong Kong to stand firm and guard their beautiful homeland, stressing that now is the crucial moment.

 

"Here we sincerely hope the compatriots in Hong Kong to think calmly about the questions: Who will suffer if the situation becomes irremediable, and who will benefit in the end?"

 

All departments and organs of Hong Kong should never be soft on violent violations of the law, Yang stressed.

 

Reiterating the central government's unswerving support for Chief Executive Carrie Lam, the spokesperson said the opposition's attempt to force her to resign is doomed to fail.

 

"We hope that the people of Hong Kong understand the nature of the current situation, and firmly support Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam in leading the HKSAR government's law-based governance, the Hong Kong police in enforcing laws rigorously, and departments of the HKSAR government and the judiciary body in punishing violent criminals in accordance with the law," Yang said.

 

He then made it clear to "the very small group of unscrupulous and violent criminals and the dirty forces behind them" that those who play with fire will perish by it, and that whoever participates in violent and criminal activities would be held accountable according to the law.

 

"All in all, the fate of Hong Kong will be decided by all Chinese people including Hong Kong compatriots," Yang added.

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-08/06/c_138288284.htm

 

148 people were arrested in Monday's round of protests.

 

HONG KONG, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong police said on Tuesday that they have arrested 148 people during Monday's operations.

 

The detainees consist of 95 males and 53 females, four of whom have been charged, said the police at a press briefing.

 

The suspects were arrested for various offenses including unlawful assembly, assaulting police and possession of offensive weapons.

 

On Monday, protesters destroyed a total of 117 traffic lights and blocked several main routes in Hong Kong. The police accused the protesters of engaging in "extremely violent behaviors," which will not be tolerated.

 

The police said seven police personnel were injured during Monday's operations.

 

At the press briefing on Monday, the Hong Kong police said that they had arrested 420 people during a series of protests and clashes between June 9 and Aug. 5. They were charged with taking part in riot, unlawful assembly, assaulting police and other offensives.

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-08/06/c_138288254.htm

 

The PRC government: "Only a matter of time" before punishes those behind the protests.

 

HONG KONG (AP) -- China warned Tuesday that it will be "only a matter of time" before it punishes those behind two months of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong that have increasingly devolved into violent clashes with law enforcement.

 

MENU

Tuesday, August 6, 2019 Japan's National Daily

China warns Hong Kong protesters that punishment is coming

August 6, 2019 (Mainichi Japan)

 

 

Protesters throw back tear gas canisters on Monday, Aug. 5, 2019, in Hong Kong. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Protesters throw back tear gas canisters on Monday, Aug. 5, 2019, in Hong Kong. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

HONG KONG (AP) -- China warned Tuesday that it will be "only a matter of time" before it punishes those behind two months of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong that have increasingly devolved into violent clashes with law enforcement.

 

【Related】Protesters in Hong Kong decry government's 'empty rhetoric'

【Related】Hong Kong leader Lam says she has no plans to resign over unrest

The comments by Yang Guang, spokesman for the Chinese Cabinet's Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office, are a further indication that Beijing will take a hard line against the demonstrators and has no plans to negotiate over their demands for political reforms.

 

"We would like to make it clear to the very small group of unscrupulous and violent criminals and the dirty forces behind them: Those who play with fire will perish by it," Yang said. "Don't ever misjudge the situation and mistake our restraint for weakness."

 

Singling out "brazen, violent and criminal actors" and the "meddling hands behind the scenes" as the focus law enforcement efforts, Yang said, "As for their punishment, it's only a matter of time."

 

China so far has not visibly intervened in the situation, though it has published a series of strongly worded editorials in state media condemning "violent radicals" and "foreign forces" allegedly inflaming them. Speculation has grown that the Communist Party-led central government will deploy the military to quell demonstrators after Chinese officials pointed to an article in Hong Kong law that allows troops already stationed in the city to help with "public order maintenance" at the Hong Kong government's request.

 

While Hong Kong authorities have said they don't anticipate any need to bring in troops or police from China to help impose order, the Hong Kong army garrison and police in the city of Shenzhen across the border have both released videos recently of their officers training to disperse groups of people dressed in black and wearing masks and construction helmets like many of the Hong Kong protesters.

 

A former British colony, Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997 under the framework of "one country, two systems," which promised the city certain democratic freedoms not afforded to the mainland. But some Hong Kong residents feel that Beijing has been increasingly encroaching on their freedoms.

 

A string of demonstrations began in June against proposed extradition legislation that would have allowed some suspects to be sent to mainland China for trial. While the government has since suspended the bill, protesters have pressed on with broader calls for democratic reforms, an investigation into allegations of police brutality and for the city's leader to step down.

 

Pro-democracy legislator Fernando Cheung Chiu-hung told reporters Tuesday that Beijing should not make the demonstrations a national security issue because the movement is not targeting the central government, but rather the administration of Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam.

 

During a "People's Press Conference" held earlier in the day, a protester using the pseudonym Jerry Chan indicated that demonstrators would not attempt to confront the military if it made an appearance.

 

"I believe the protesters and Hong Kong citizens will 'be water' and know what to do," Chan said, referring to the protesters' philosophy of taking a fluid approach to their demonstrations. "We will go home and sleep."

 

The three protesters who spoke to reporters said the briefing was intended to counter regular government and police news conferences in which authorities have repeatedly decried violent acts by some pro-democracy demonstrators. They also apologized for inconveniences caused by a general strike Monday that paralyzed regular workday operations in the city. Major roads and public transit lines were blocked, and at least 77 flights at the airport were canceled.

 

Protesters challenged law enforcement in at least eight districts on Monday, responding to continuous rounds of tear gas with practiced swiftness. Some started fires outside police stations and hurled bricks and eggs at officers. Hong Kong security secretary John Lee said the damage and violence was "unprecedented" since 1997, with more than 15 police stations or facilities attacked and surrounded.

 

Echoing language used by officials to criticize their actions, protesters said they "strongly condemn the lawlessness and the inhuman actions done by police." Some police officers have shown "total lack of self-discipline," Chan said, adding that some tear gas was fired on residential buildings during clashes across several districts Monday.

 

Many rally participants have chosen to hide their identities because they fear official retribution.

 

Yang and other Chinese officials repeatedly accused protesters and organizers of seeking to wreck Hong Kong's society and economy and of lacking patriotism.

 

Hong Kong police say they've arrested 568 demonstrators aged 13-76 since June, and charged them with a variety of crimes, including rioting, which can carry a sentence of up to 10 years.

 

During an earlier 79-day round of protests in 2014 demanding direct elections for Hong Kong's chief executive, police announced around 1,000 arrests. Eight leaders of the 2014 movement were sentenced this year to up to 16 months in prison on charges of public nuisance offenses, in what critics called an apparent effort to intimidate other activists.

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20190806/p2g/00m/0in/087000c

 

PRC spokesperson urges US to stop interferring in HK affaris, questions how the violent demonstrations could possibly be called "human rights and freedom".

 

BEIJING, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Monday once again urged the U.S. side to stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs, stressing that no one should underestimate China's firm resolve to implement the "one country, two systems" principle and safeguard prosperity and stability in Hong Kong.

 

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying made the comments when responded to a letter from some U.S. lawmakers Friday, in which they urged the U.S. government not to help the "repression" of Hong Kong's "peaceful demonstrations" and rejected the idea of defining those demonstrations as "riots."

 

"The relevant U.S. individuals are calling black white with ill intentions. We firmly oppose that," said Hua.

 

Hua said the violent radicals in Hong Kong smashed their way into the Legislative Building and the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) with iron sticks. They wantonly vandalized public facilities, obstructed public traffic and illegally stored dangerous goods and offensive weapons. They attacked the police in lethal means, beat them and even bit their fingers off. They tarnished the national emblem and national flag.

 

Those scenes have been witnessed by people around the world. How on earth do those individuals in the United States call them "peaceful demonstrations"? Hua asked.

 

"All people with conscience will agree those violent behaviors have already crossed the bottom line of any civilized society. They have crossed the line of peaceful demonstration and freedom of expression. They have gravely trampled on Hong Kong's rule of law, threatened local people's safety and property and violated the bottom line of 'one country, two systems' principle," said Hua. "Such things simply cannot be tolerated."

 

She said the U.S. side doesn't mention at all and has turned a blind eye to the power abuse and violent law enforcement of police at home. But at the same time, it blatantly criticized or even tried to smear the professional, civilized and constrained law enforcement of Hong Kong police. "This will only help the world see how arrogant, biased, hypocritical, ruthless, selfish and bossy the U.S. side is."

 

Is rampant violence and collapse of rule of law something the U.S. side calls "human rights and freedom"? Hua asked.

 

Hua also urged the U.S. side to stop conniving at violent criminals, and undermining the administering by the government of the HKSAR in accordance with law and interfering in Hong Kong affairs.

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-08/06/c_138286075.htm

[JasonJ]

360 pan view video of demonstrators and riot police.

[Nobu]

Some of them, no doubt, e.g. when they had the violent hoodlums attack with rebar irons. But they can't infiltrate so many as to make a million or more citizens look unhinged and irresponsible, at least not without running risk of getting exposed. They're definitely on very thin ice.

 

What is frustrating is the restraint displayed by this Carrie Lam so far. Almost in the manner of a patient mother in various ways.

[Murph]

It could get bad, the ChiComs are moving in troops: https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2019/08/china-begins-military-invasion-of-hong-kong-peaceful-protesters-about-to-meet-chinese-forces-video/

[Stuart Galbraith]

Hong Kong Airport is closed to all leaving flights.

[BansheeOne]

Yeah, between the protesters blocking the premises and China demanding to have all Hong Kong aircrew checked for having participated in the protests before domestic flights, operations were severely impeded. This is going to hit the city's economy rather hard rather quick, which is going to unsettle the local oligarchs and likely improve the case for Chinese intervention.

Edited August 12, 2019 by BansheeOne

[Stuart Galbraith]

Probably, but Hong Kong isnt Bejing. When they put in a show of force there, the locals knuckled under. Its a pure guess on my part, but an intervention in Hong Kong I think will have the exact opposite effect to that intended, in the same way the Soviet intervention in Czechoslovakia and Hungary had the effect opposite to intended. Yes, it put the lid back on, but the long term effect was to lose them Eastern Europe, though they were already headed that way by that point.

 

I remember what Lech Walesa said about a possible Soviet intervention in Poland 'They can take the country over, but they will never get it working again'.

[BansheeOne]

I was recently talking to the executive officer of the German-Taiwanese Society chaired by my previous boss, who works out of the local Taiwanese non-embassy. She said the Hong Kong protests had at last brought some relief from the immense pressure China has been putting on their international relations since Tsai Ing-wen of the more pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party became president. I told her that cynically speaking, a Chinese crackdown in Hong Kong would probably be good for Taiwan's international stance, since it would clearly demonstrate Beijing's understanding of "one country, two systems" which they have been proposing for eventual reunification, too. Conquer Hong Kong, lose Taiwan.

[Stuart Galbraith]

Thats an interesting analysis. Yeah, I can see that. It may also be that Trump, if he he has to show any response, may just arm the Taiwanese up. its the cheapest and easiest solution to the requirement to 'do something'.

 

For us, we can hardly hold the Chinese to a trade deal, if they wont hold to the terms we signed with them for the future of Hong Kong. Its hardly as if we set the bar very high for them.

[Colin]

Chinese Students feeling the heat in Brisbane and Vancouver

 

https://amp.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/3022207/hong-kong-protests-uygur-camps-how-chinese-students-became